This section provides background information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art. Plants grow in many shapes and sizes. With some plants it may be desirable to provide an adjacent or surrounding structure such as a stake, cage or trellis for the plant to grow onto. The adjacent structure can assist and progressively support the plant as it grows. The technique of staking plants is particularly common in fruit bearing plants. In this regard, the plant and fruit can grow onto and around the stake or cage thereby keeping most of the plant and fruit off the ground. When plants are supported in an upright position, the plant is provided with increased area to prosper. In addition, may other advantages can be realized such as, but not limited to, ease of harvesting the fruit and spraying for insects.
In some instances however implementing a stake, cage or trellis relative to a plant can be time consuming and inefficient. For example, these conventional supporting techniques can be difficult to adjust as the plant grows. Additionally, sometimes it may be difficult to initially set up a support around a plant. Often, as with a trellis or other system, it becomes necessary to individually plant and design a support system and technique that is unique for each plant and/or growing season. Current systems do not allow a grower to easily accommodate for increased size of the plant as it progressively grows. In this manner, the size and shape of the selected support system decided upon and implemented at planting must remain the support system through the life of the plant.
Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.